Pakistan's Foreign Minister was on Friday seeking UN support to raise money for recovery efforts following devastating floods in the country, telling The National the funds would go towards “the beginning of our process of economic recovery”.
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari met UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres this week on the sidelines of the G7 ministerial conference in New York. The UN chief reiterated his full support for humanitarian relief and recovery work in Pakistan’s flood-hit areas.
Monsoon rains, probably worsened by climate change, lashed Pakistan for months starting in mid-June, damaging or washing away two million homes and killing more than 1,700 people.
Mr Guterres said Pakistan's “resilient” reconstruction was his “top priority”, according to a UN statement.
The Pakistani Foreign Minister blamed his country's previous administration, led by Imran Khan, for causing “particularly difficult economic times” and said Islamabad had been in danger of defaulting on its debt obligations.
When asked about the increasing cross-border attacks on Pakistan from Afghanistan, Mr Bhutto Zardari reiterated his commitment to engaging with the Taliban to “ensure that terrorist activities do not take place”.
“No one wants to see Afghanistan becoming a regional hotbed for terrorism,” he said.
“We want to work with the interim government of Afghanistan to ensure that they demonstrate both the will and the capacity to take on these groups.”
Relations between Kabul and Islamabad have become increasingly tense over the past few months, especially in border regions. This week, eight Pakistani civilians and a Taliban soldier were killed in cross-border shelling.
And shots were fired at the Pakistani embassy in Kabul this month in what Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called a “dastardly assassination attempt” against the head of the mission.
Mr Bhutto Zardari said he had no plans to visit Afghanistan anytime soon.
On wider regional issues, regarding the ousting of Iran from the UN Commission on the Status of Women, Mr Bhutto Zardari told The National: “I don't think this is a good precedent.”
The adoption of a resolution calling for the removal of Iran from the body with “immediate effect” marked the first time a member of the commission had been removed.
A total of 29 states voted in favour of the resolution while eight were against, including China, Nigeria, Oman, Russia. Sixteen countries abstained.
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
MATCH INFO
Norwich 0
Watford 2 (Deulofeu 2', Gray 52')
Red card: Christian Kabasele (WatforD)
ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA
Starring: Nader Abd Alhay, Majd Eid, Ramzi Maqdisi
Directors: Tarzan and Arab Nasser
Rating: 4.5/5
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
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More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Drivers’ championship standings after Singapore:
1. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes - 263
2. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari - 235
3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes - 212
4. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull - 162
5. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari - 138
6. Sergio Perez, Force India - 68
Company profile
Company name: Suraasa
Started: 2018
Founders: Rishabh Khanna, Ankit Khanna and Sahil Makker
Based: India, UAE and the UK
Industry: EdTech
Initial investment: More than $200,000 in seed funding
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
Results
Stage 4
1. Dylan Groenewegen (NED) Jumbo-Visma 04:16:13
2. Gaviria (COL) UAE Team Emirates
3. Pascal Ackermann (GER) Bora-Hansgrohe
4. Sam Bennett (IRL) Deceuninck-QuickStep
5. Caleb Ewan (AUS) Lotto Soudal
General Classification:
1. Adam Yates (GBR) Mitchelton-Scott 16:46:15
2. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates 0:01:07
3. Alexey Lutsenko (KAZ) Astana Pro Team 0:01:35
4. David Gaudu (FRA) Groupama-FDJ 0:01:40
5. Rafal Majka (POL) Bora-Hansgrohe
